2-Gun Western, November 1955 — page 77: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

78 chance for your alley, I’ll go along to keep an eye...” “No,” said Barney Carr. “You're staying right here in the office, kid. Your job will be to keep the fur smoothed down on the wise ones. - They'll be drifting in after supper, to tell you what I should have done, to hand out advice that nobody wants and that ain’t worth a damn nohow. And to criticise; that’s the best thing they do is criticise. You listen and you'll get a couple of ear-fuls. But it all comes under the head of expe- rience.” 7 It was near midnight when Bar- ney Carr got back to Prairie City. A light was still going in the office and when Barney went in he found Ed Dow waiting for him, Young Ed was looking a little sullen. After one swift giance at his deputy, Barney smiled slightly. “They must have been rawhiding you and me pretty heavy, kid. Let’s hear about it.” “Rawhiding is a mild word,” growled Ed Dow. “Chet Shadrow was in and fit to be tied. He’d been over at Stone Corral setting up a way station for the projected stage line he aims to run into Baker Valley. He dtdn’t ' know a thing about the hold-up until he got back to town. And then he hit here, raving, Vinson was down from the mines and demanding action of some kind or another. For do. you know what them damned = holdup got off the stage? They got the mine payroll, that’s what they got. Close on to twelve thousand dollars. Vinson said the mine owners are going to yell bloody murder, and as Superin- ‘'tendent, he’s going to be on the spot. Shadrow is howling because this is going to be a black mark against his stage line, besides losing his best driver and shotgun guard. They’re go- ing to raise hell and put a rock under it, them two are, if we don’t get some kind of results and get ’em in a hurry. And I don’t know as you can blame ’em. In their place, I’d feel the same.” Barney Carr got out his old pipe, stuffed it and. puffed it aglow. “Along with all their howling, did they have any suggestions?” he asked mildly. Ed Dow’s tone grew a little de- fiant. “Everybody who was in seemed to be thinking along the same line. 2-GUN WESTERN Buck Caspian and Milo Studinger. Did you see them two?” “Yep. Spent the evening with ’em. They’re like a pair of tickled kids. They been digging a well up on that dry Bald Knob range of theirs and they hit a swell flow of good water. That means they can graze that chunk of range the year round now, instead of just in the spring. They aim to put in a wind mill and a couple of concrete water troughs. Opening up that Bald Knob range to year round grazing means they can put some of their bottom range into. alfalfa. Darned smart, progressive cattlemen, them two boys.” : Ed Dow got abruptly to his feet. “I’m going to turn in,” he growled. “Sure,” said Barney Carr. “G’night, kid.” Ed Dow slammed the door behind him as he went out, Old Barney smiled grimly. “Think I’m a simple minded old fool, don’t you, kid?” he murmured. “Well, youth has to learn, I reckon.” | ans eke spent the balance of the night on the office bunk and met Ed Dow at breakfast in the hash house. Ed was still sulky, curt and uncommunicative. While they: were eating, Chet Shadrow came in, growl- ing behind his black, bristly beard. “Wondering when I’d get a chance to talk to you, Carr,’ he snapped. “What you aiming to do about that hold-up?” “Why, try and run down the trail, of course. Golly! The cook sure got a good brew on the java this morning. Tie into a cup or two, Chet. Cheer you up.” Shadrow cursed, grabbed Barney Carr by the arm and jerked him around. “Listen here, you simple old coot,” he growled. “You act like that hold-up was a joke. Well, it ain't. Two good men were killed, Jim Dykes and Shove Macklin. That drummer nearly got his, too. The mine payroll was lifted. It is all a heavy jolt against my stageline. I don’t see it as any joke. Neither does Stent Vinson, the mine superinten- dent. Neither does anybody else around here who believes in law and order, And when I start talking seri- ous business with you, you moon Oo COMME|IOO S Eo